My wife and I bottle; put gelatin and priming sugar in the tun as we siphon in the finished beer, then down the tube into the bottles, cap, 2-weeks later trub on the bottom of the bottles, nice CO2 in the beer.

I've done the exchange when my cylinders get out of date. The nice "Big Box" clerk lets me look through the filled ones and I can usually find one, which is practically new. I just "skin it" and go to my regular propane place thereafter.

@bluefoxicy - Having participated in medieval re-enactments for over 30 years, I'd say that there are still quite a few sword makers around; bought from at least a dozen over the years (knives, axes, spears, war hammers and armor, too). I've even made a few mostly by the stock removal technique (read this as lots and lots of time with steel, files and emery cloth).

If you don't need a master piece, Museum Replicas has a nice selection.

...and to answer the question posed later in the thread, I do brew. The re-enactment scene is where I had mead for the first time (back in 1983) and decided I could make better. =)

I looked at my notes again; jumped the gun a bit on my OP, used liquid extract instead of the dried (the above recipe is a later stab at it, which has not been brewed yet).

The original recipe was 3# each Munton's Amber and Dark LME plus 1# each dark brown sugar and rice syrup. I used 2 oz of whole leaf Fuggles for the 60 min boil. Yeast used was a sachet of Edme's, which was just sprinkled atop the wort in the fermenter. Temperatures were right around 65F.

Initial gravity was 1.049, finished out at 1.011.

If I recall correctly, I had bought the cans of LME from a LHBS hereabouts that went out of business at least 8 years ago. The cans were in perfect condition, been stored in a cool, dry basement, so I thought, "what the hey?"

From the comments I jotted from what folks said at brew club, woody was the main flavor profile, which I understand is an oxidation problem. The foaming was moderate as was carbonation (I bottle, used corn sugar for priming).

Aside from that, the off-flavor I got was kind of a green-grass taste, like chewing a stem of hay.

I got a copy of David Sutula's "Mild Ale" earlier this afternoon.

Not having ever tried brewing a mild before (I like stout my wife prefers English IPA), some advice on what to look for.

(snip) Although the industry has advanced in the years since Michael Jackson's "BEER HUNTER" was produced, I'd like to see them air that series again. It was a well made, informative, and dignified effort to elevate beer and show that it's more than just the fizzy yellow stuff that most folks see it as. "BEER HUNTER" put it across without being snobby or resorting to gimmickry. Some of the players (and rules) have probably changed in the intervening years, but the message put forth in the series still holds up quite well, I think.

I'd watch that, could be done with the original Michael Jackson footage enhanced by a "where are we now?" update...

I knew I was being accepted as a man in the family when I was watching the Red Sox with my grandad the summer after I turned 16 and he asked me to get him another beer from the fridge, and told me to get one for myself...yep, PBR.